Miami Heat two-way guard Gabe Vincent was recently awarded the NBA G League’s Most Improved Player award for the 2019-20 season.
Vincent’s play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce earned him some major praise from Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
“He fits so many of the things that we like … high character, super-hard work ethic,” Spoelstra said. “He’s developed his game through a lot of sweat and hard work behind the scenes when no one was watching.
“We relate to guys like that. We’re fans of his and we’re excited to be able to develop him.”
The 24-year-old guard averaged 20.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from deep in the G League this season.
It was a huge uptick in production from his 2018-19 campaign where he averaged just 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 29.1 percent shooting from three-point range.
Vincent has played in four games for the Heat so far this season. His biggest game came on Feb. 5, when he scored nine points in 17 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“He definitely can fit,” Spoelstra told reporters after that game. “He helps a lot of the actions that we run; they run them in Sioux Falls, obviously. He looks good on those actions on the run.
“He has range, but he can shoot on the move. He’s a capable, detailed defender.”
It seems clear that the Heat have managed to find another diamond in the rough with the impressive youngster.
